Mendocino County Today: January 22, 2021

Showers | 14 Cases | Sandbar Closed | Richardson Grove | Pacific Ranch | Barry Pinder | Mendocino 1936 | Burnt Wine | Borges-Gurr | 1971 Busking | Frailey Grounded | Wanted Bandit | Coast Cow | Ed Notes | Hawk | Virtual Concert | Yesterday's Catch | Capitol Crowd | Donald Dump | Wrecking America | Bitter Vintage | Everybody Knows | Conspiracy Stuff | Real Reform | Misspelling Fascism | Hooker Sis | Illegal Weapons | Juanito Cajon | Agenda Highlights | Liquid Fish | Covid Roadtrip

AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH will continue to bring showers to the area today. A break in the rain is expected Saturday followed by a cold front Sunday. This is expected to bring rain with snow above 2,500 feet. Generally dry conditions are expected Monday with additional cool and wet weather expected late Tuesday through Thursday. (NWS)

14 NEW COVID CASES reported in Mendocino County on Thursday, bringing the total to 3206. 

NAVARRO SANDBAR CLOSED BUT FLOODING NOT LIKELY

The Navarro River sandbar has closed in again, only two days after it breached. However, no flooding of Hwy 128 is likely in the near term unless we get a few inches of rain.

We do have 25" rain in the forecast tonight, and another .25" on Monday. That's not enough to make much difference. The USGS Navarro gage chart shows a continued slow decline in level after the breach dropped it from 4.36 ft. to 2.24 ft. in a matter of hours.

Yesterday when I checked the channel was halfway blocked by a low sandbar reaching from the south edge to the center of the channel. Today the closure was complete due to insufficient river flow to keep it open. Also today is the 1st quarter moon, which means a minimum tidal flow in and out of the channel, another factor favoring closure.

The big surf of the past few weeks had settled down by yesterday and remains low today. It's mainly the surf that builds up the sandbar, so the new sand barrier across the recent channel is not high and will be easily breached before any danger of flooding the highway again. However, all bets are off if we get another period of big waves.

I've heard comments from people saying someone should open the sandbar channel to let the fish in to spawn. That's misguided, because there is not enough flow in the tributaries to make good spawning conditions. When the sandbar breaches naturally, it's because there IS sufficient water in the tributaries. Better to let nature take its course, in my opinion.

The section of Hwy. 128 that floods just east of the Hwy. 1 bridge is very short, only a 100 yards or so, and the flood waters backed up by the sandbar rarely put more than a foot of water over the roadway. That means if there were enough political support then CalTrans could raise that short stretch of the road by putting in rock fill and paving over it.

— Nicholas Wilson

SAVE RICHARDSON GROVE

Despite the recent heartbreaking court decision that allows Cal Trans to widen the 101 through the ancient Redwoods grove, the Richardson Grove coalition will not stop and is moving ahead with all legal options.

Our new legal options are not promising and we know that in order to save these Redwoods we need massive public support. 

These trees have been protected by local folks for years and we need you to do it again.

You can help us to reach out to several other organizations that could be more supportive such as the Save The Redwoods League, the Siscone Tribal Council, Senator McGuire, and Governor Newsom.

It is also important that Supervisor Fennell and Supervisor Bass hear from their constituents. 

If you write to the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors be sure to thank them for their recent positive changes in policy. If you are close to any of these folks please let them know with an email, call or better yet a written letter that you want and need them to help to save these trees. This will really help.

For an excellent detailed account of the history and current situation read Tom Wheeler’s work at epic@wildcalifornia.org

We need to reboot the grassroots approach with powerful personal contacts from you before we mount a more wide spread organized email campaign.

We will keep the AVA posted with info on actions.

These trees have been protected by local folks for years and we need you to do it again.

Please help.

Thank you from the Richardson Grove Coalition

• Supervisor Fennell is at efennell@co.humboldt.ca.us 
• Supervisor Bass is at vbass@co.humboldt.ca.us.
• Senator McGuire is at mcguire@senate.ca.gov
• Governor Newsom is at https://govapps.gov.ca.gov/gov40mail/
• Save the Redwoods is at www.savetheredwoods.org
• Board of Supervisors Is at humboldtgov.org/167/Board-of-Supervisors
• Siscone tribal council is at contactar@siscone.com
• To donate go to epic@wildcalifornia.org

MENDO COLD CASE: BARRY PINDER

On June 18, 1974, 21-year-old Barry Kirk Pinder was found murdered at his campsite inside MacKerricher State Park just north of Fort Bragg. An autopsy revealed the cause of death to be blunt force trauma.

Neighboring campers reported seeing three to four male subjects in the campsite the prior evening along with a motorcycle. The following day Pinder was found deceased underneath a picnic table and the motorcycle was no longer at the location.

Anyone with information in regards to the murder of Barry Kirk Pinder is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office Tip-Line by calling 707-234-2100.

Age at time of disappearance: 21 years-old

Height: 6 feet 1 inch

Weight: 180 pounds

Hair: Blonde

MCSO Case#: 74-41358 Automated Report# 06-3774

IF THE WILDFIRES of 2020 hadn’t already served as a wake-up call for California’s wine industry, just wait until it sees the bill. The damage to the state’s wine companies by last year’s fires, according to one industry analyst, may amount to as much as $3.7 billion. That’s taking into account the losses of property, wine inventory, grapes and future sales of the wine that those grapes would have made.

— Esther Mobley, Chronicle Wine Columnist

THE LATEST IN THE BORGES-GURR MARIJUANA SUIT: 

cases.justia.com/federal/district-courts/california/candce/3:2020cv04537/362121/50/0.pdf?ts=1607941076

IT LOOKS TO US, as non-lawyers, that the Federal Judge is allowing Gurr-Borges to proceed with their claim that they were singled out by the “opt-out” zoning imposed on the property, and thus denied a legitimate permit. However, the judge dismissed their claim that there was a “conspiracy” to do it (subject to reconsideration if more proof is provided at a later time), and dismissed their property rights claims because pot is still illegal in federal court.

Background: 

1. Arrested & Overlayed
2. Marijuana Mendo — A Cautionary Tale
3. The Gurr-Borges Plot Thickens

HENDRY GETS HIS KID — AND CAR

On Wednesday, January 20, 2021 at approximately 11:00am, Willits Police Department Officers monitored a Be On the Lookout broadcast from the Fort Bragg Police Department for a stolen vehicle described as a Gray, 4DR, Volkswagen Jetta, License # 6RJB232. 

Officers positioned themselves on Highway 20 leading into Willits and soon observed the vehicle heading eastbound into Willits at a high rate of speed. Lt. Derek Hendry followed the vehicle and broadcast his location. The vehicle failed to yield to lights and sirens and proceeded across Main Street onto South Street and then northbound on Central. The suspect vehicle was pursued on Central to San Francisco where he made a left turn and turned southbound on Main Street. 

The suspect, later identified as Joshua Frailey, 19 of Orland, continued southbound and entered the Evergreen Shopping Center on the south side of Willits. 

With Sgt. McCoy (WPD) joining the pursuit, the suspect turned around in the parking lot of the center and proceeded northbound on Main Street. Having already committed several traffic violations, the suspect continued northbound and then went across the double yellow lines in order to go around traffic as he neared the Safeway parking lot. The suspect attempted to turn into the parking lot but was unable to, crashing into the Safeway gas station sign. 

The suspect fled from his vehicle and Lt. Hendry and Sgt. McCoy gave chase on foot. The suspect wound up cornered against the businesses around South and Flower Streets on the northeast side of the parking lot, where he was taken into custody by Lt. Hendry and Sgt. McCoy. 

The suspect was treated at Howard Memorial for minor abrasions to his forehead when he was taken to the ground during his arrest. There were no injuries to any of the officers involved. The car was impounded and Fort Bragg Police were was notified of its recovered status. The suspect was transported to Ukiah and booked into County Jail for Taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent and other charges.

FBI SEEKING INFORMATION ON ROBBER TARGETING HUMBOLDT COUNTY BANKS DUBBED THE ‘LOST COAST BANDIT’

Notable attributes of “Lost Coast Bandit” include witness reports that he has “good posture” and his notes being written with “all caps writing and strange phrases.”

mendofever.com/2021/01/20/fbi-seeking-information-on-bank-robber-targeting-humboldt-county-banks-dubbed-the-lost-coast-bandit/

ED NOTES

RUMORS out of Ukiah promised a Trumper demo at the County Courthouse on His Last Day, but it never happened, and never happened anywhere in the land, even as The Great Healer took the helm promising unity, as his political party harpoons the Great Orange Whale in a second impeachment. Social media, Ukiah, contained a comment from a Ukiah teacher describing the leader of the aborted Courthouse demo as “the stupidest (sic) student I've ever taught.”

SIGNS of the times. A 25-year-old Ukiah single parent who works two jobs for about $30 an hour couldn't make his rent and has been evicted. Fortunately, for him and his 6-year-old son, the young guy has a grandma who is helping him out. If it weren't for grams and gramps, this country would be a lot sadder than it is. The old folks have been raising their children's children for how long now?

2020 IS THE DEADLIEST YEAR in U.S. history: America is on pace for more than 3.2 million total deaths including 347K killed by COVID, 75K pandemic-related fatalities and a record 81K fatal overdoses. 

TRUST IN THE MEDIA is at an all-time low, with less than half of all Americans and just 18 percent of Republicans saying they trust traditional media outlets. Trust but verify, as President Ron cautioned US, but most places in the world people understand that the media they're consuming is a private business owned by wealthy individuals with the typical conservative views of wealthy people. In this country, media are owned by wealthy people whose views range from the fascist end of the conservative spectrum to conservative liberals at the other end — Trump to Biden. There is a tiny left wing media whose views are entirely shut out by the mass media where most Americans get their information. (You're welcome.) 

BIDEN seems to think fringe sexual politics is a priority. He has signed an executive order that will force schools to include transgender athletes in girls' sports. The order, titled Preventing and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation, was signed just hours after Biden assumed office on Wednesday evening. It states that “Children should be able to learn without worrying about whether they will be denied access to the restroom, the locker room, or school sports.”

FAIR ENOUGH, but if you defenestrate yourself just so you can beat all the girls in the hundred yard dash, well, hell, let's invoke some basic standards here. Reminds me of the guys who claimed to be gay just so they could play in a tough gay men's softball league in SF. That was back in the day when there was still some stigma attached to minority sexual practices. Also reminds me of two guys I played baseball with at Cal Poly, both of them in their early thirties, who'd been playing college baseball all over the country ever since they'd left high school. Pre-internet, all they had to do was bounce around from state-to-state, playing a season here and season there. One of them, Rod Atnip, finally got caught because he was a little too competitive. A little guy with a big fastball, pro scouts remembered him at some cow college in Alabama, another tried to sign him out of some obscure college in Nebraska. Where he was in his decade-long ballpark hegira when he landed in San Luis Obispo, I never knew. As an alleged student, Atnip spent nights playing cards for fairly big money downtown, days raiding the bookstore in his specially-sewn shoplifting coat, the fruits of that labor sold to us impoverished enablers for two-thirds off the cover price. At SLO, Atnip was enrolled only for the Spring semester, most of baseball season. By the time he flunked out the season was over and he was on the road again.

LE VENT DU NORD, FEBRUARY 7 AT 2PM

UCCA presents Le Vent du Nord - a virtual performance

“Exceptionally skilled, exceptionally experienced, and exceptionally entertaining” – SING OUT! magazine

Le Vent du Nord, the “wind from the north”, is virtually blowing into town on February 7, 2021 at 2:00 p.m. in a 30-minute performance for our Ukiah Community Concert audience. Be prepared to tap your toes or even dance in your living room as Le Vent du Nord delights you with a virtual concert. Share the joyful sound of these great musicians in your own space.

This playful and accomplished band from Quebec is a leading force in its progressive francophone folk movement. The group’s vast repertoire draws from both traditional sources and original compositions, while enhancing its hard-driving soulful music (rooted in the Celtic diaspora) with a broad range of global influences. Le Vent du Nord has played concerts worldwide and has garnered many prestigious awards. Their choice of instruments includes the hurdy gurdy, button accordion, violin or “fiddle”, guitar, and their five powerful voices. 

Viewers need only a computer (desktop, laptop, iPad, iPhone, Android, or tablet), a reliably strong internet connection, and an email address to which UCCA can send the Zoom link. After the February 7 performance, the program will be loaded onto UCCA’s very own YouTube channel and available to subscribers and single-event ticket buyers for 30 days.

As part of a special promotional offer, tickets for non-season subscribers are $15 and available online at www.ukiahconcerts.org. UCCA offers free access to Mendocino College students who request in advance as part of our continuing educational outreach program. For more information, please call 707-463-2738, or send an email through our website: www.ukiahconcerts.org. Visit us there, and Like us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

The Ukiah Community Concert Association has been presenting internationally acclaimed talent since 1947. This all-volunteer nonprofit’s mission is to build and maintain an enthusiastic concert audience by presenting stellar and enticing live performances. It is also our goal to encourage and develop music appreciation in the schools because Live Music makes Life Better! 

UCCA thanks our members for their continued support as well as our sponsors Schat’s Bakery, Black Oak Coffee, and Rivino Winery and W/E Flowers. Special thanks to the Mendocino Arts Club and Mendocino College Recording Arts & Technology club for their ongoing support and collaboration.

CATCH OF THE DAY, January 21, 2021

OSCAR BERNAL, Ukiah. Domestic battery, domestic abuse, contempt of court, protective order violation, failure to appear, probation revocation.

DUSTIN CAVINO, Willits. Disorderly conduct-alcohol.

JORGE ESPINOZA, Redwood Valley. DUI, misdemeanor hit&run. 

LEVI LAMOUREUX, Laytonville. Ammo possession by prohibited person, county parole violation.

CHRISTOPHER LOPEZ, Ukiah. Assault with deadly weapon not a gun, domestic abuse, probation revocation.

ANDREW MAYNARD, Fort Bragg. Disorderly conduct-alcohol, probation revocationd. (Frequent flyer.)

JACOB WALTRIP, Ukiah. Disorderly conduct-alcohol.

MOB V. CROWD: THE MASS PSYCHOLOGY OF MADNESS

by Jonah Raskin

Mobs are unruly. They usually don’t have leaders and leadership. Crowds, on the other hand, are disciplined. They have spokesmen and women, structure and discipline. Those aren’t iron clad definitions, but they provide a useful framework to talk about the upheaval that took place at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. As more and more information surfaces, it becomes clearer and clearer that a crowd, not a mob, attacked what is called “The People’s House.” A crowd is more dangerous than a mob.

The January 6 demonstrators had and still have a leader—Donald Trump, though some Proud Boys seem to have fallen out of love with him. They had a directive from him that didn’t spell out everything in detail, but that provided a framework for protesters to use their imaginations and to get creative. “Be there, will be wild!” Mr. Trump wrote. He seems to have wanted to have a riot and eat it, too: incite and cover his own ass. After all, he retreated to the White House after he made his inflammatory remarks.

Mobs have often been described as “wild.” They are linked in popular culture to “the wild Irish” and to “wild Indians,” two phrases used by British colonizers who invaded and occupied other lands and sought to “civilize” the inhabitants, and exterminate them, too.

Not all crowds are created equal and not all have the same or even similar goals. Some, like those who affiliated with MLK and civil rights activists, have been motivated by a dream. Others, like Enrique Tarrio and members of the Far Right are motivated by their own worst nightmares: a nation in which whites are a minority. The crowds that coalesed after George Floyd’s murder were mostly peaceful and loving while the crowds that broke into the Capitol spewed hatred. They were motivated by lies, misinformation and disinformation. In their actions, one saw evidence of the mass psychology of mad conspirators who spread the contagion of irrationality.

The demonstrators at the Capitol were well prepared, well organized, and disciplined, according to Steven Sund, the chief of police for the capitol and others in law enforcement. They rehearsed before they reached the Capitol and they were well-funded by nonprofits like the Rule of Law Defense Fund, and by individual conservatives. Also, many of them had a wealth of experience in organizations and groups like the Tea Party, QAnon and the Proud Boys.

The insurgents knew what they were doing and they were proud of doing it. Now, some of the conservatives who lit the fuses are shouting “shame, shame” and denouncing the mob action. For years they have been openly stoking defiance of the Law they claim to uphold.

Language makes a difference. It makes a difference when we talk about and try to understand what happened and why on January 6.

It was George Rudé who first made me aware of the nomenclature for protests by citizens who have taken to the streets. The author of The Crowd in History (1964) and The Crowd in the French Revolution, (1967) Rudé was a Marxist and a member of the British Communist Party who emphasized the role that so-called ordinary people have played in shaping societies and political upheavals.

The Parisians who stormed the Bastille, Rudé explained, did so not simply because it was a symbol of tyranny and oppression, but because weapons were stored there. They would come in handy in an armed confrontation.

I met George in New York one summer when he was teaching at Columbia. I made dinner for him, his wife Doreen and a bunch of my friends who were studying history and making it, too. I remember listening to George talk about “violence” in political demonstrations, riots and upheavals. “Look at the casualties on both sides,” he said. “They are usually not policemen, but people from the ghetto who are shot, wounded and killed by men in blue.” That was eye opening. Ninety-eight “attackers” and one “defender” died in the July 1789 battle for the Bastille. In Detroit in 1967, 33 African-American residents of the city died, along with 10 whites. One officer was shot by a looter while struggling with a group of looters, and one National Guardsman was shot by fellow Guardsmen while caught in a crossfire.

If we use the word “crowd” to describe the men and women who congregated at and stormed the capitol we know what we’re up against. To call them a ‘mob” doesn’t sufficiently recognize their ability to “case the joint,” make detailed scenarios and carry them out. Calling them members of a (well-healed, well-off) crowd doesn’t elevate their cause, their racism, misogyny and their longing for dictators and dictatorship. It identifies them as a powerful force who have already altered the course of history and will try to do so again. The fact that the inauguration has had to take place in a city protected by men with guns seems to prove the right wing point that we live in a police state.

(Jonah Raskin is the author of For The Hell of It: The Life and Times of Abbie Hoffman and American Scream: Allen Ginsberg’s ‘Howl’ and the Making of the Beat Generation.)

“Trump op-eds on the right, tell-alls on the left, and cartoons in the middle.”

ON LINE COMMENT OF THE DAY

I was and remain non-partisan … I didn’t like Trump, and I’m not too enthusiastic about Biden. I think he (and his party) are too old, too fossilised, too prepared to get along with the forces that are wrecking America.

Not as much as the Republicans, but it’s a lousy choice really – do you want to be bitten in half by the shark or swallowed whole?

The more fevered hopes and dreams of a Trump victory post 3 November have not come to pass – ranging from the ultra-fruit-loops of Q-Anon, through to the semi-fruit-loop Sidney “Kraken” Powell, and then to the much more rational JHK. 

I think it’s indisputable that Trump had the worst legal team imaginable. While it is far from clear that Trump might have done better with real lawyers, it was almost certain that the stars of Four Seasons Total Landscaping were not up to it.

Looking forward, I trust that even the most fervid Trump supporters accept the new reality, and start to think and act sensibly and productively. Steal or no steal … it is what it is.

I trust they get over believing Joe Biden is a senile puppet propped up in a chair (he is not); get over claiming that Biden & Son are totally in the pocket of the CCP on one side, and Soros-Gates on the other (it’s nonsense); and hopefully will finally get over Covid-19 being a myth (it’s real).

Otherwise it’s just going to be interminable bickering and pointless posting of endless false conspiracy nuttiness – haven’t we had enough of that? Time for a decent dose of reality – and look at the things that are really challenging the nation (hint: the economy, pandemic, race, urban mayhem, suburban blight, immigration, debt, climate, and jobs, jobs, jobs).

‘EVERYBODY KNOWS’

Editor,

It’s been my experience after 73 years on this planet that when someone says “everybody knows,” it means they have no evidence or proof for their statement. Generally, it’s something they’ve heard said by others spouting things they heard without evidence.

In this instance, when compared to the certification of the votes by 50 states, including both Republican and Democrat election officials, and the finding by the Justice Department under Donald Trump’s attorney general, William Barr, that there was no election fraud found that would have changed the overall votes, it is clear that “everybody” does not know.

John Wise

Guerneville

JOE BIDEN MUST PUT AN END TO BUSINESS AS USUAL. HERE'S WHERE TO START 

by Bernie Sanders

In this time of unprecedented crises, Congress and the Biden administration must respond through unprecedented action

A record-breaking 4,000 Americans are now dying each day from Covid-19, while the federal government fumbles vaccine production and distribution, testing and tracing. In the midst of the worst pandemic in 100 years, more than 90 million Americans are uninsured or underinsured and can't afford to go to a doctor when they get sick. The isolation and anxiety caused by the pandemic has resulted in a huge increase in mental illness.

Over half of American workers are living paycheck to paycheck, including millions of essential workers who put their lives on the line every day. More than 24 million Americans are unemployed, underemployed or have given up looking for work, while hunger in this country is at the highest level in decades.

Because of lack of income, up to 40 million Americans face the threat of eviction, and many owe thousands in back rent. This is on top of the 500,000 who are already homeless.

Meanwhile, the wealthiest people in this country are becoming much richer, and income and wealth inequality are soaring. Incredibly, during the pandemic, 650 billionaires in America have increased their wealth by more than $1tn.

As a result of the pandemic education in this country, from childcare to graduate school, is in chaos. The majority of young people in this country have seen their education disrupted and it is likely that hundreds of colleges will soon cease to exist.

Climate change is ravaging the planet with an unprecedented number of forest fires and extreme weather disturbances. Scientists tell us that we have only a very few years before irreparable damage takes place to our country and the world.

And, in the midst of all this, the foundations of American democracy are under an unprecedented attack. We have a president who is working feverishly to undermine American democracy and incite violence against the very government and constitution he swore to defend. Against all of the evidence, tens of millions of Americans actually believe Trump's Big Lie that he won this election by a landslide and that victory was stolen from him and his supporters. Armed rightwing militias in support of Trump are being mobilized throughout the country.

In this moment of unprecedented crises, Congress and the Biden administration must respond through unprecedented action. No more business as usual. No more same old, same old.

Democrats, who will now control the White House, the Senate and the House, must summon the courage to demonstrate to the American people that government can effectively and rapidly respond to their pain and anxiety. As the incoming chairman of the Senate budget committee that is exactly what I intend to do.

What does all of this mean for the average American?

It means that we aggressively crush the pandemic and enable the American people to return to their jobs and schools. This will require a federally led emergency program to produce the quantity of vaccines that we need and get them into people's arms as quickly as possible.

It means that during the severe economic downturn we're experiencing, we must make sure that all Americans have the financial resources they need to live with dignity. We must increase the $600 in direct payments for every working-class adult and child that was recently passed to $2,000, raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, expand unemployment benefits and prevent eviction, homelessness and hunger.

It means that, during this raging pandemic, we must guarantee healthcare to all. We must also end the international embarrassment of the United States being the only major country on Earth not to provide paid family and medical leave to workers.

It means making pre-kindergarten and childcare universal and available to every family in America.

Despite what you may have heard, there is no reason why we cannot do all of these things. Through budget reconciliation, a process that only requires a majority vote in the Senate, we can act quickly and pass this emergency legislation.

But that is not enough. This year we must also pass a second reconciliation bill that deals with the major structural changes that our country desperately needs. Ultimately, we must confront the grotesque level of income and wealth inequality and create a country that works for all and not just the few. Americans should no longer be denied basic economic rights that are guaranteed to people in virtually every other major country.

This means using a second reconciliation bill to create millions of good-paying jobs rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure and constructing affordable housing, modernizing our schools, combatting climate change and making massive investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy.

It means making public colleges, universities, trade schools and Historically Black Colleges and Universities tuition-free and forcefully addressing the outrageous level of student debt for working families.

And it means making the wealthiest Americans and most profitable corporations pay their fair share of taxes. We cannot continue to allow profitable corporations like Amazon to make billions of dollars in taxes and pay nothing in net federal income taxes. And billionaires cannot be allowed to pay a lower tax rate than working-class Americans. We need real tax reform.

There is no reason Joe Biden could not sign into law two major bills that will accomplish most of the goals I listed above within the first 100 days of the new Congress. We cannot allow Mitch McConnell and the Republican leadership to sabotage legislation that would improve the lives of millions of working Americans and is wildly popular.

Let us never forget. When Republicans controlled the Senate, they used the reconciliation process to pass trillions of dollars in tax breaks primarily to the top 1% and multinational corporations. Further, they were able to confirm three rightwing US supreme court judges over a very short period of time by a simple majority vote.

If the Republicans could use the reconciliation process to protect the wealthy and the powerful, we can use it to protect working families, the sick, the elderly, the disabled and the poor.

A FEEL GOOD STORY

Every morning, the CEO of a large bank in Manhattan walks to the corner where a shoe shine is always located. He sits on the couch, examines the Wall Street Journal, and the shoe shine gives his shoes a shiny, excellent look.

One morning the shoeshine asks the Executive Director: What do you think about the situation in the stock market?

The Director asks in turn arrogantly: Why are you so interested in that topic?

“I have a million dollars in your bank," the shoeshine says, "and I'm considering investing some of the money in the capital market.”

”What your name?” asks the Director. 

“John H. Smith.”

The Director arrives at the bank and asks the Manager of the Customer Department: “Do we have a client named John H. Smith?”

“Certainly,” answers the Customer Service Manager, "he is a highly esteemed customer. He has a million dollars in his account.”

The Director comes out, approaches the shoeshine, and says: "Mr. Smith, I ask you this coming Monday to be the guest of honor at our board meeting and tell us the story of your life. I am sure we will have something to learn from you."

At the board meeting, the Executive Director introduces him to the board members: “We all know Mr. Smith, who makes our shoes shine in the corner; but, Mr. Smith is also our esteemed customer with a million dollars in his account. I invited him to tell us the story of his life. I am sure we can learn from him.”

Mr. Smith began his story: "I came to this country fifty years ago as a young immigrant from Europe with an unpronounceable name. I got off the ship without a penny. The first thing I did was change my name to Smith. I was hungry and exhausted. I started wandering around looking for a job but to no avail. Suddenly I found a coin on the sidewalk. I bought an apple. I had two options: eat the apple and quench my hunger or start a business. I sold the apple for two dollars and bought two apples with the money. I also sold them and continued in business. When I started accumulating dollars, I was able to buy a set of used brushes and shoe polish and started polishing shoes. I didn't spend a penny on entertainment or clothing, I just bought bread and some cheese to survive. I saved penny by penny and after a while, I bought a new set of shoe brushes and ointments in different shades and expanded my clientele. I lived like a monk and saved penny by penny. After a while I was able to buy an armchair so that my clients could sit comfortably while cleaning their shoes, and that brought me more clients. I did not spend a penny on the joys of life. I kept saving every penny. A few years ago, when the previous shoe shine on the corner decided to retire, I had already saved enough money to buy his shoeshine location at this great place. Finally, three months ago, my sister, who was a hooker in Chicago, passed away and left me a million dollars.”

NUCLEAR WEAPONS ARE NOW ILLEGAL

The U.N. Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

On 7 July 2017 — following a decade of advocacy by ICAN and its partners — an overwhelming majority of the world’s nations adopted a landmark global agreement to ban nuclear weapons, known officially as the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. On 22 January 2021, the treaty will enter into force.

icanw.org/the_treaty

SUPES AGENDA HIGHLIGHTS, Tuesday, January 26, 2021

Public Safety Advisory Board on next Tuesday’s Supes Agenda

Agenda Item 5c: Discussion and Possible Action Including Introduction and Waive Reading of an Ordinance Adding Chapter 2.39of the County Code Creating a Public Safety Advisory Board

(Sponsor: County Counsel)

Summary: This Ordinance adds a new Chapter 2.39 to the Mendocino County Code, establishing a Public Safety Advisory Board. The Public Safety Advisory Board shall be an advisory body charged with making reports and recommendations to the Mendocino County Sheriff and the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors on matters related to public safety. The ordinance provides for the composition of the Public Safety Advisory Board and outlines its powers and duties, as well as specific limitations.

Proposed Ordinance:

An Ordinance Adding Chapter 2.39 To Title 2 Of The

Mendocino County Code Entitled Public Safety Advisory Board

Whereas, on June 23, 2020, the Board of Supervisors for the County of Mendocino established an ad hoc committee to meet with the Mendocino County Sheriff and members of the community to explore the creation of a Public Safety Advisory Board; and

Whereas, the ad hoc committee had multiple meetings with the Mendocino County Sheriff and members of the public; and

Whereas, on September 1, 2020, the ad hoc committee reported its recommendation to the Board of Supervisors for the form and creation of a Public Safety Advisory Board; and

Whereas, the Board of Supervisors wishes to create a Public Safety Advisory Board, to facilitate communication between the public and law enforcement and increase transparency.

Now therefore, the Board of Supervisors of the County of Mendocino ordains as follows:

Section 1. Chapter 2.39 is hereby added to Title 2 of the Mendocino County Code to read as follows:

Chapter 2.39 – Public Safety Advisory Board

Sec. 2.39.010 – Public Safety Advisory Board. Sec. 2.39.020 – Members.

Sec. 2.39.030 – Terms.

Sec. 2.39.040 – Powers and Duties.

Sec. 2.39.050 – Bylaws. Sec. 2.39.060 – Limitations.

Section 2.39.010 – Public Safety Advisory Board.

There is hereby created a Public Safety Advisory Board to make reports and recommendations to the Board of Supervisors and the Mendocino County Sheriff related to law enforcement and public safety. The Public Safety Advisory Board shall meet in a manner consistent with the Brown Act.

Section 2.39.020 – Members.

The Public Safety Advisory Board shall consist of seven members. The members shall be as follows:

(A) One member shall be a current member of the Board of Supervisors, appointed to the Public Safety Advisory Board by action of the Board of Supervisors; 

(B) Five members shall be appointed by the Board of Supervisors, with each Supervisor nominating one member; and 

(C) One member shall be the Mendocino County Sheriff, or his or her designee. 

Members of the Public Safety Advisory Board need not be residents of Mendocino County or of any particular supervisorial district. The Board of Supervisors, however, shall endeavor to appoint members with strong ties to a range of populations within the County, so as to best capture the so as to best capture the full scope of concerns and viewpoints of the residents of the County.

Section 2.39.030 – Terms.

(A) Each member of the Public Safety Advisory Board shall serve a term beginning the day after the first meeting of the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors in a calendar year and lasting until the first meeting of the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors in the following calendar year. 

(B) In the event that one or more new members are not appointed at the first meeting of a calendar year, each member of the Public Safety Advisory Board shall continue in that capacity until such time as a successor is appointed. 

(C) The Board of Supervisors shall have the authority to remove or replace any member of the Public Safety Advisory Board who was appointed by the Board of Supervisors. 

Section 2.39.040 – Powers and Duties.

The Public Safety Advisory Board shall be an advisory body charged with making reports and recommendations to the Mendocino County Sheriff and the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors on matters related to public safety. Additionally, the Public Safety Advisory Board shall:

(A) Outreach to the Mendocino County public, provide options for community input, and receive input from community in culturally and linguistically appropriate ways on matters related to law enforcement and public safety. 

(B) Examine and report on interdepartmental issues related to law enforcement and public safety. 

(C) Review public safety concerns by: (1) ensuring that complaints are appropriately dealt with for County employees, (2) receiving resident concerns, suggestions, complaints, and compliments about County employees and forward them to the appropriate department for review, (3) producing a public report about the issues, concerns, complaints and recommendations on a summary level, and (4) considering public safety concerns and promote appropriate communication, interaction, and problem-solving strategies. 

(D) Review current policies for compliance with applicable law. 

(E) Review redacted reports presented to the use of force review board and provide objective and independent evaluation of reviews of use of force. 

(F) Engage in community outreach to better ascertain if additional trainings are required, and educate the public about those trainings that are performed. 

(G) Nominate a member of the public to the use of force review board. 

Section 2.39.050 – Bylaws.

The Public Safety Advisory Board shall prepare and recommend bylaws governing its operations, which shall become effective upon adoption by the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors.

Section 2.39.060 – Limitations.

The Public Safety Advisory Board shall have only those powers granted to it by the Board of Supervisors through this ordinance or other appropriate action. In no event that the Public Safety Advisory Board be authorized to:

(A) Change the decisions made by the Sheriff's Office or any County department. 

(B) Decide policies for the Sheriff's Office or any County department. 

(C) Impose discipline on any Sheriff employee or any County employee. 

(D) Conduct its own investigations. 

(E) Interfere with the performance of the Sheriff's Office or any County department. 

(F) Compel by subpoena the production of any document or witness related to a Sheriff's Office or any County department. 

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CRISIS RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT facility requires three county agencies, three four planning contractors “and other consultnats,” besides a construction manager and the Measure B Project Manager (And you wonder why an ordinary $1 million 4-bedroom house costs over $5 million?):

“Measure B Project 003 – Crisis Residential Treatment Center

Due for Completion in November 2021 Total YTD Expenses: $208,908.00 Estimated Project Cost: $5,049,006. The pre-construction team consisting of County agency representatives, AECOM Construction Management, Sally Riley Compliance and Risk Management Consulting, Nacht & Lewis Design, Cupples & Sons Construction, and other consultants have been working diligently to ensure that construction, licensing, and CHFFA date requirements are met. Final design and engineering documents are in the County approval phase and are expected to be cleared by the Planning Department in January or early February.

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SCHRAEDER CONTRACT TO INCREASE by $10 mil for six additional months of “retroactive” mental health services.

Item 5e: Discussion and Possible Action Including Approval of Retroactive Second Amendment to BOS Agreement No. 19-193 with Redwood Quality Management Company, Inc., to Increase the Amount from $27,797,494.06 to $37,390,461.14and Extend the End Date Six Months to June 30, 2021, to Arrange and Pay for Medically Necessary Specialty Mental Health Services and Mental Health Services Act Programs to All Ages of Medi-Cal Beneficiaries and the Indigent Population, Effective July 1, 2019 Through June 30, 2021

(Sponsor: Health and Human Services Agency)

Recommended Action:

Approve retroactive second amendment to BOS Agreement No. 19-193 with Redwood Quality Management Company, Inc., to Increase the Amount from $$27,797,494.06 to $37,390,461.14 and Extend the End Date Six Month to June 30, 2021, to Arrange and Pay for Medically Necessary Specialty Mental Health Services and Mental Health Services Act Programs to All Ages of Medi-Cal Beneficiaries and the Indigent Population, Effective July 1, 2019Through June 30, 2021; authorize the Behavioral Health and Recovery Services Director to sign any future amendments to the agreement that do not increase the annual maximum amount; and authorize Chair to sign same.

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RICHARD SHOEMAKER wants to be a Noyo Harbor Commissioner. Why?

“Previous service on over 25 governmental City, County, special district, statewide boards and commissions. Retired construction contractor and project manager. Retired non-profit executive director, responsible for funding and construction oversite of the ARCCfor 5+ years as Point Arena City Manager with direct oversite of; budget development & implementation, personnel, consultant & construction contracts, grant applications, public works, and the operation of the Arena Cove Harbor and Boat launch facility. Successful in working with diverse communities with divergent viewpoints. I own a vessel that is stored, launched and sailed from Noyo Harbor. My family also Kaykaks on the Noyo using the launch ramps.”

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$50k IN RETROACTIVE OUTSIDE LAWYER COSTS for cannabis consulting and related environmental issues.

Consent Calendar Item 4m: Approval of Retroactive Agreement With Abbott & Kindermann, Inc. in the Amount of $50,000to Provide Legal Services Effective January 4, 2021 Through June 30, 2021

Recommended Action:

Approve retroactive Agreement with Abbott & Kindermann, Inc. in the amount of $50,000 to provide legal services effective January 4, 2021 through June 30, 2021; and authorize Chair to sign same.

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COUNTY TO PAY ABOUT $900K for Best Western Motel Conversion “Project Manager.”

4s) Authorization to Award a Contract to Adams Commercial General Contracting, Inc (ACGC) in the Amount of $887,512for Phase I of the Homekey Project at 555 S. Orchard St (Ukiah) for the Period of January 26through April 15, 2021, Subject to Receipt of All Necessary Signatures, Certificates, and Bonding Instruments from Contractor, and Authorization for the Health & Human Services Agency to Act as Project Manager to Enter Contracts and Approve Change Orders for the Project, Pursuant to Public Contract Code Section 20142

Recommended Action:

Authorize award of a contract to ACGC in the amount of $887,512for Phase I of the Homekey Project at 555 S. Orchard St (Ukiah) for the period of January 26 through April 15, 2021, subject to receipt of all necessary signatures, certificates, and bonding instruments from Contractor, and authorization for the Health & Human Services Agency to act as Project Manager to enter contracts and approve change orders for the Project, pursuant to Public Contract Code Section 20142.

ANOTHER $750k TO SCHRAEDER for RETROACTIVE Pilot program:

Consent Calendar Item 4x: Approval of Retroactive Agreement with Redwood Quality Management Company in the Amount of $740,000to Provide Direct Service, Facilitation, Administration, and Participant-Specific Data for the County of Mendocino, Whole Person Care Pilot Project, Effective January 1, 2021 through June 30, 2021

Recommended Action:

Approve retroactive Agreement with Redwood Quality Management Company in the amount of $740,000to provide direct service, facilitation, administration, and participant-specific data for the County of Mendocino, Whole Person Care Pilot Project, effective January 1, 2021through June 30, 2021; authorize the Health and Human Services Agency Assistant Director to sign any future amendments that do not increase the annual maximum amount; and authorize Chair to sign same.

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FROM SUPERVISOR WILLIAMS:

Mendocino BOS - Jan 26, 2021 - remove special interest seats from planning commission

Mendocino BOS - Jan 26, 2021

Discussion and Possible Action Regarding the Composition of the Mendocino County Planning Commission (Sponsors: Supervisor Williams and Supervisor Haschak)

Recommended Action/Motion:

Direct County Counsel to prepare amendment reducing Mendocino County Planning Commission to one seat per Supervisorial District.

Summary of Request:

The Mendocino County Planning Commission is presently composed of seven members. Each Supervisor nominates an appointment and in addition there are seats for agricultural and forestry representatives. All appointments are confirmed by the BOS. Mendocino County is unique in that we have two industry appointments. Other industries are desiring representation on the Planning Commission. The Planning Commission would benefit from a more streamlined commission and a more workable quorum. To align our Planning Commission with other counties and give fair representation to all, the recommendation is to eliminate the two additional seats on the Planning Commission. With five seats on the Planning Commission, a quorum of 3 would be sufficient and a majority of two could move decisions.

I TOOK A 1,600-MILE ROAD TRIP THIS WEEK that has left me even more amazed at how poorly the United States has handled the coronavirus — and more worried about how much work the Biden administration has to do to get it under control.

The U.S. now faces two main virus problems. First, our efforts to minimize the virus’s spread remain halfhearted, with many Americans refusing to wear masks or practice social distancing. Second, the early stages of the mass vaccination campaign have been a mess, far behind schedule and full of frustration for people trying to get shots.

The second of those problems was the reason for my road trip. I live in the Washington, D.C., area, where the vaccine rollout has been even slower than in most places.

I hear maddening anecdotes from neighbors and friends all the time, and I imagine you’ve heard similar anecdotes. Many Americans who qualify to receive the vaccine — like people over 65 — don’t know what they are supposed to do to sign up. When they try, they often find that all the slots are filled.

My mom, who’s 74 and has been living with my family for the last few months, was one of the people trying to figure out how to get her shot. And it felt impossible. Fortunately, she had an alternative. She normally lives in Colorado, a state with a somewhat better vaccine rollout. By checking repeatedly online, she got an appointment in Colorado.

So the two of us got in the car and spent a couple of days driving west (to spare her the risk of contracting the virus on a plane). My sister, who lives in Denver, drove east, and we met halfway, in St. Louis. I then drove back to Washington, and my sister and my mom drove to Denver. We are all grateful that she is about to receive her first shot.

But it’s worth pausing to reflect on what an indictment of our society this story is. The world’s richest, most powerful country has almost 20 million vaccine doses that are sitting unused. Meanwhile, people are desperately trying to sign up — and often failing. Many families don’t have the resources or flexibility to make it a full-time project.

For some, the consequences of the bungled rollout will be fatal. More than 3,000 Americans a day have been dying from Covid-19 recently. Some of them would not have contracted the virus if the Trump administration and state governments had kept the vaccination program anywhere close to on schedule.

President Biden announced his plans yesterday for a “full-scale wartime effort” to speed things up — including the construction of mass-vaccination centers, the involvement of drugstores and an accelerated manufacturing program. How well Biden succeeds will help determine how many Americans survive this pandemic.

The other big factor will be how hard the country tries to reduce the virus’s spread while the vaccines are being rolled out. In the short term, masks and social distancing probably matter even more than vaccines. “The brutal truth is it’s going to take months before we can get the majority of Americans vaccinated,” Biden said yesterday.

But I came home from my trip shaken by what I had seen.

Almost everywhere I stopped — gas stations, rest stops and hotels, across Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois — there was a sign on the door saying that people had to wear masks to enter. And almost everywhere, most people ignored the sign.

At a Fairfield Inn in Ohio, a middle-aged couple sat unmasked on a lobby sofa for hours, drinking beers and scrolling through their phones. The hotel staff evidently did nothing about it. At a convenience store in Indiana, a hand-drawn sign on the door read: “Face masks are required. Please do not enter without one!!” Customers did anyway.

Nationwide, about half of Americans are not wearing masks when in close contact with people outside their households, according to a survey released yesterday by the University of Southern California.

Wearing a mask isn’t much fun. It’s hard to speak clearly, and if you wear glasses, the fogging is annoying. But the inconvenience sure seems worth the benefits.

Study after study has shown that masks reduce the virus’s spread. Yet millions of Americans have decided they would prefer more Covid — for their communities and potentially for their families and themselves — to more masks.

The Biden plan to accelerate vaccinations looks promising, many experts say. But the new president does not yet have a cohesive plan for changing Americans’ minds about safe behavior in the meantime. Repeating the same pleas, like Biden’s request that people wear masks for his first 100 days, seems no more likely to work than the signs I saw on my road trip.

What might work better? Perhaps a prime-time Oval Office address that’s light on policy and focused on a simple call to action. Or maybe the calls to action can come from a diverse array of celebrities, politicians and business executives. As behavioral psychologists often explain, the messenger can matter more than the message.

For now, I feel like I just drove across a country that is losing a winnable fight.

— David Leonhardt (The New York Times)